Junior High
by iSquint
Summary: Bones, Booth, and the rest of the squints are in junior high! Will there be romance, drama, angst? Hello, it's junior high!
1. Waking Up

**A/N:** Okay, so I've noticed that lots of people write about our favorite squints in high school, and even in elementary school. Everyone forgets the most important years--junior high. The time when we start to define ourselves, and discover who we are. Now, why wouldn't somebody write about the squints in high school? Well, I've decided to. So, here we go with the first chapter of my fic, Junior High. (Yeah, I know, crappy title.)

Oh, by the way, this fic is set as if they were all teenagers during our time. Meaning the year 2007, not 1970-something. Sorry if that disappoints you.

**Disclaimer:** If I owned BONES, do you think I would be a teenage geek with no life:stare: On second thought, don't answer that...

* * *

**WAKING UP**

Temperance Brennan shifted in her bed, her long auburn locks tangling upon her white feather pillow. She cracked open one eye, focusing on her digital alarm clock. The time was flashing, and Tempe was amazed.

_4:45 AM_

Tempe groaned and pulled a second pillow over her eyes. She didn't have to get up until at _least_ six o'clock. That way she had enough time to shower, get dressed, eat breakfast, and make sure she had all her things ready. But of course, nerves were going to keep her up.

Finally deciding sleep wasn't going to come, Tempe flung the pillow off her face. A comforter was thrown to the end of the bed, and the lamp on the bedside table came on. Rubbing the remains of sleep from her eyes, the twelve-year-old girl stood and walked to her closet. Her outfit for the first day of seventh grade had been selected the night before, so it was all on a hanger in the front of her closet. She grabbed the jean and tee shirt ensemble, then opened the door to her room.

Judging by the obnoxious snores coming from the other end of the hallway, Russ was still sound asleep. _Of course he's still asleep,_ Tempe thought to herself. _He doesn't have to worry about not making a fool of himself. Russ doesn't have to worry about anything except passing tenth grade._ Tempe turned towards the linen closet, grabbing a towel and washcloth. If she wasn't going to be able to sleep, she might as well be clean.

**30 Minutes Later...**

Tempe emerged from the bathroom, gently pulling a brush through her only slightly damp mass of curls. Her outfit consisted of a black AC/DC tee shirt, light blue jeans, and a pair of black converse sneakers. She left her hair swinging free around her face, pushing it back over her shoulders. Walking silently, Tempe lightly jumped over the creaky step on the staircase. The kitchen light was on, and she entered, realizing her father must have forgotten to turn the light off after doing the dishes the night before.

Five minutes later, Tempe was munching on Strawberry Delight Mini Wheats, a piece of toast, and a pear. The phone was tantalizingly close, and temptation was starting to chip away at her resolve. Before she could give herself a chance not to, she snatched up the phone and dialed the familiar number.

It was ringing. She couldn't very well hang up while it was ringing...

Angela Montenegro was awake. In fact, she was wide-awake. Having been unable to sleep from her overwhelming excitement, she'd spent the entire night creating her new masterpiece. It was a blend of wild colors, overlapping each other, clearly showing the feeling of not being able to sit still. Just looking at it made her want to move, dance, anything. The young girl stood, her tanned legs coming from a pair of mesh shorts. Her dark hair was in a high ponytail, and her skinny wrists were covered with big-beaded bracelets. Glancing at the time, she noted it was 5:30. Nice. Suddenly, Ange's cell phone started blaring out 'Girfriend' by Avril Lavigne.

Ange jumped across the room. Pressing the send button, she raised the phone to her ear. "Sweetie, I was totally about to call you," Ange said truthfully, a faint laugh in her voice.

"Really?" she heard Tempe ask, a faint note of surprise in her voice.

"Yeah."

"Nervous?"

"No, you?"

"Well, of course."

"Don't be. I'll keep you safe."

"Thanks Ange."

They both hung up at the same time, silently communicating the conversation was over. Oddly, Tempe felt completely comforted by the 24 word discussion. She set down the phone and continued eating her cereal.

* * *

**A/N:** Alright, guys, there you have it. The first chapter of my first multi-chap fanfic. This is actually my second fanfic, so I would really appreciate some feedback. Please.

Yours Truly,

Long-Lost Squint


	2. Off To School We Go

**A/N:** Okay, so I know it took forever, but here's the second chapter of Junior High. I don't remember what Brennan's dad's name is supposed to be, so I'm going with Max. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bones.

* * *

**OFF TO SCHOOL WE GO**

Max Brennan walked down the stairs, not surprised to find his daughter in the kitchen. She was putting her bowl in the sink and throwing the remains of a pear into the trash. Max leaned against the door jamb as she washed her hands with the antibacterial soap.

"You're up awful early, don't you think?"

Tempe whirled around at the sound of her father's voice, pressing a hand to her chest. She smiled at her dad, taking in the fact that he was still in his gray t-shirt and pinstriped pajama bottoms he wore to bed. "I couldn't sleep," she admitted. She picked up a dish towel to dry her hands.

"You don't need to be nervous, honey," Max said, walking forward and resting his hand on Tempe's shoulder. "It'll be fine, I promise."

Tempe smiled ruefully. _If only he could guarantee that._ "Thanks, Dad."

Russ Brennan strolled into the kitchen, still in the shorts and t-shirt he wore to bed. "How can you stand to be up this early?" he asked, disgruntled.

Tempe looked at the clock above the sink. "It's six fifteen."

"Exactly," Russ said, as if the reason for his discomfort should be obvious. Russ was _not_ a morning person. Tempe rolled her eyes. Giving her father a look of amusement, she left the kitchen, walking up the carpeted stairs to her room. There was a full length mirror hanging on the back of her door, and Tempe stopped to exam herself.

Her auburn curls were hanging loose around her face, forming an adorable little frame. Her nose was small and her eyes were big, a sweet cerulean color. Ange was always pushing her to wear lip gloss on her mouth, to make it look more "lush and kissable" then it already did. Ange was like that. Tempe shook her head to the side as her side-swept bangs fell in front of her right eye.

Reexamining her outfit, Tempe decided that she _really_ needed to change. This outfit was just NOT going to work.

A few minutes later, she was once again examining her reflection. Her torso was now encased in a blue t-shirt that said "To Write Love On Her Arms" over a white one, with the sleeves folded over at the ends twice. Dark, almost black jeans fit tightly around her thighs, then flared out at her knees, dragging the ground slightly because they were just a little too long. The converse were still there.

Yes. This worked _so _much better. Tempe smiled, then pulled her long hair up into a high ponytail. Reaching down, she grabbed her backpack, a black mesh one with black and white checks on the back, and started out of her room, feeling really...odd about the fact that she'd done a really girly thing by changing her clothes for school, after having already been dressed. Ange would just love this.

* * *

Ange hadn't needed to change her outfit for school. She already had the perfect one picked out. The bright bubble gum pink and robin's egg blue striped t-shirt, coupled with a blue jean mini, fraying at the edges, over blue leggings with pink flats, looked wonderful with her olive skin and dark hair. She left her hair down, waving over her shoulders, and wore gold bangles and hoop earrings. Smoky eyeshadow and red lip gloss finished the look. She didn't look too bad, if she did say so herself.

She stood on the sidewalk in front of her house, having already said goodbye to her dad. Tempe was catching a ride with Russ, and they were picking up Ange. With Russ's dark blue mustang, they were going to make an awesome entrance. Just then, she saw the car come around the corner.

Tempe opened the door to the car when it stopped. "Hey, Ange," she said, smiling as her friend drew her in for a hug.

"This is going to be awesome! It's the first day of the rest of our lives! By the way, you look great, sweetie. Blue's your color," Ange told her excitedly, her words coming out in a rush as she climbed into the backseat. Tempe smiled at the compliment as she got back in, reminding Ange to buckle up.

A bus passed by them, and the noise coming from it made Tempe's ears hurt and Ange grimace. Watching it go to the end of the street, Tempe shook her head sadly. She did _not_ envy those kids.

* * *

**A/N:** Okay, chapter two finished. Booth and Hodgins come in during the next chapter. Let me know what you think, if you would!


	3. It's The Government's Fault

**A/N:** Finally, what you've all been waiting for. Then entrance of three other main characters. I had originally intended for it to only be two, but anyways... Read and enjoy!

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"**IT'S THE GOVERNMENT'S FAULT."**

Seeley Booth hated the bus.

He did. He absolutely did. He hated it with the intense, fiery passion of a thousands suns multiplied by –_ Oh my God, what's that smell?!_

Booth groaned and leaned his head against the window, covering his mouth and nose with his hand. The stench that filled the bus made Seeley think they'd run over a skunk, and had girls groaning, moaning, and whipping out perfume bottles. It only made it worse, in his opinion.

He heard someone giggle, and turned to look behind him. A blond girl with big doe eyes who'd 'developed' rather quickly winked at him, then covered her kewpie doll mouth and giggled some more. He turned back to the front, shaking his head.

He knew what girls saw when they looked at him, and according to a number of girls from sixth grade, it wasn't half bad. Messy brown hair that he'd had his mother leave alone and let grow down to where it almost reached his eyes, which were chocolate brown and Missy Higgins had called 'absolutely dreamy.' He was tall, and had nice muscles, even if they weren't totally obvious whenever someone looked at him. His wide chest was currently clothed in a worn gray t-shirt, with a green button-up pulled over it. His long legs had acid-washed blue jeans pulled over them, and his large feet were currently covered with brand new K-Swiss's. Seeley thought of it as his own private joke that his nice, back-to-school attire was paired with a blue sock with frogs on it and a pink sock with skulls. His belt buckle, a gag gift from his brother Jared, was red with COCKY written on it in gold letters.

He smiled at the memory of when his brother got him the gift, then grimaced as another wave of multi perfume stench rolled over him. He groaned once more, leaning his head back against the seat. _I hate the bus!_

"It's the government's fault."

* * *

Jack Hodgins was used to people giving him the weird look that Seeley Booth gave him just then whenever he opened his mouth. He was usually spouting off about government conspiracies, and it happened to freak people out most of the time. He smiled, thinking it was a stroke of luck that had him seating next to this kid on the bus. Jack couldn't recall explaining theories to him before.

"How is it the government's fault?" Seeley asked him, deciding to humor the kid. What harm could it do? It's not like there was anyone else he could talk to.

"Well," Jack responded, turning slightly toward Booth, "if the government hadn't decided that school needed to provide transportation for their prisoners – I mean, students, then we wouldn't be sitting in this hunk of yellow metal and bad green fabric," he finished, gesturing around him to the bus and seats.

"Huh," Seeley responded, surveying the kid. He could vaguely recall that light brown afro and the nice, designer label clothes. He shook his head, trying to remember.

Jack watched for a moment, then took pity, the skin around his blue eyes crinkling in amusement. He extended his hand. "Jack Hodgins."

Seeley Booth suddenly remembered. That's right, the rich kid who hung around with the science crowd. He extended his own hand, shaking Jack's firmly. "Seeley Booth."

The introduction wasn't needed. Everyone knew Seeley Booth, the number one football star. He was famous, by middle school standards. Jack pulled his black cloth jacket a little tighter around him at a sudden wave of frigid air. _Now_ the driver decided to turn on the air conditioner. His white t-shirt, bearing the logo "The truth is out there," had become slightly sticky with sweat. It may have only been seven in the morning, but it was **hot.**

Shuffling his black converse around on the bus floor, Jack smiled at Seeley. "I know. Nice to meet you."

"You know, that's not actually true," a small kid with mousy, messy brown hair said from the seat in front of them, turning around. His eyes were also brown, and was up there with Seeley's on the adorable scale. His light blue t-shirt under a darker blue, short sleeve button up shirt went nicely with his slightly pale skin. Tan cargo shorts and white sneakers completed the ensemble. "About the government being to blame for our situation, I mean."

Jack laughed and lightly kicked the kid's foot. "Yeah they are, Zack, and you know it."

Zack Addy turned his eyes onto Seeley. "If the government didn't make school supply transportation, then some of us wouldn't be able to come to school at all unless we walked. It's the kids who shout and make the bus ride horrible who're to blame for the misery we suffer," he finished matter-of-factly, as if everything he had said should be obvious.

Jack frowned. "Be quiet, Zack." He turned to Seeley. "He's not even supposed to _be_ on this bus. He's supposed to be in fifth grade, but he's got a high IQ and the teachers got annoyed with him correcting them."

Seeley looked at Zack. Yeah, he could see how this kid could be a genuis. He looked like he regularly forgot things, and his shirt was buttoned wrong. Hadn't it been said that Einstein could discover gravity, but he couldn't tie his own shoes...?

Seeley smiled at Zack as the bus pulled to a stop. "It's nice to meet ya, Zack."

Zack grinned as they all stood, grabbing his black messenger bag. "Likewise, Seeley."

Seeley grimaced at the sound of his name. "Just call me Booth, kay?"

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**A/N: **Okay, don't forget to let me know what you think of Jack, Booth, and Zack.


	4. Why?

**A/N:** In response to BrandyhartsBooth17's question, now! They meet now! Enjoy.

I'm Yours belongs to the lovely and talented Jason Mraz. I just happen to love the song.

* * *

"**WHY?"**

Tempe and Ange climbed out of Russ's mustang, listening to "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz, a song they had both recently discovered and fallen in love with.

Ange and Brennan climbed out of the car swaying in time with the music, their voices raising, reaching most people within a fifteen foot radius. Ange didn't have the best singing voice, and she knew it, so she would occasionally stop singing and just listen to the sound of Tempe's voice blending with the song. Tempe had an amazing voice, even if she sometimes refused to acknowledge it.

Ange stopped singing near the end of the song, listening to Tempe singing, knowing she didn't realize it was just her because she was so caught up in the song.

"I been spending way too much time checking my tongue in the mirror, and bending over backwards just to try to see it clearer, but – my breath fogged up the glass...so I drew in a face and I la-ah-aughed. I guess what..." Tempe continued, her sweet alto voice floating across the courtyard of the school.

And that's the first time Booth saw her. Laughing with Jack when Zack tripped over his own two feet, helping him up from the ground, he froze when her voice reached him over the sound of everything else. He looked up quickly, finding her immediately. Her long auburn curls reflecting red in the sun, her dark skinned, dark haired friend swaying to the music with her as she professed "our name is our vir-tue" in a song he had only heard once or twice on the radio.

"But I won't he-zah-tate, no more, no more, it can not wait, I'M YOURS!" Tempe belted out beautifully, her brother climbing out his side of the car as Ange began to sing with her on the end of the song. When they finished, the note echoing around them, there was a burst of applause, and most of it was aimed at Tempe, since she'd done most of the singing.

Looking around Tempe noticed that Ange was applauding too, a sign that she'd been on her own at some point during the song.

"Why didn't you tell me I was singing by myself?!" Tempe asked angrily, red staining her cheeks as she yanked out her earphone, shoving it at Ange before a teacher could see it. Ange smiled at her friend's agitation.

"You've got an amazing voice, honey. You should let people hear it more often," she said honestly as she put her iPod in her over sized silver bag. Tempe just frowned, still blushing, and turned to say goodbye to her brother.

Ange looked around and noticed an unlikely group. Seeley Booth, star quarterback, talking and hanging out with Jack Hodgins, rich boy science geek? And Zack Addy was tagging along, too! Well, if this wasn't just a day for miracles.

"She's amazing," Booth said to Jack and Zack as they once again started toward school, "isn't she?" He turned to get their opinion.

Jack replied, "Yeah, dude. She was awesome." He had no doubt that Booth was talking about Temperance Brennan. He knew her, he'd been her science partner all last year, and they'd gotten along okay. She was pretty nice.

What Jack had been focused on during those moments of heavenly singing was Angela Montenegro, the girl he'd been crushing on hard ever since the first time he saw her in fifth grade. Of course, the first time they'd met he'd accidentally insulted her, but Jack had only been joking. He hadn't known she would take it that seriously...

"_Hey," ten-year-old Jack said bravely to the new girl, who was sitting in her long blue dress on a bench in the playground. She'd looked up and eyed him, making Jack feel like one of the bugs he liked to put on a slide and look at under his microscope._

"_Hi," she's eventually said. "I'm Angela."_

"_Jack," he'd responded, coming over and looking at the sketch pad in her arms. "Whatcha drawing?"_

"_People," Angela had said, tilting the notebook so he could see better. It was amazing, children running to and fro, playing four-square, and climbing on the jungle gym. You had the feeling you a casual observer, yet still part of the scene._

_Jack shrugged, trying to downplay the artistic drawing. "It's okay."_

_Angela's eyes had narrowed on him. "Okay? _Just_ okay? This happens to be some of my best work." She'd then stuck her nose in the air and ignored any attempt he made to talk to her for the rest of the day._

Of course Ange had gotten over that by now, and they were something of casual acquaintances. Jack still had a huge crush on her, though. Maybe this year...

Jack was snapped out of his thoughts by Booth waving his hand in front of his face. "Yo, Jack. You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just pondering ways to boycott cafeteria food," he responded. Booth smiled, then he started walking ahead of them.

"Hey, I'll see you guys in class or something, okay?" Booth called over his shoulder. He started running and went straight into a group of guys that Jack recognized as the other members of last year's football team.

"Okay," Zack called after him. He turned to Jack. "Do you think we even have any classes with him?"

"I don't know, buddy," Jack said, throwing an arm around Zack's shoulder and putting him in a mock headlock. "Guess we'll find out later."

Tempe walked into her first period science class, seeing most of the chairs in the front of the room were empty. She quickly grabbed one of them and put her lime green binder on her desk. The teacher, a young man with his tie loosened, smiled at her as she sat down. She smiled back. She was aware that her cheeks were still slightly pink form her discovery that Ange had stopped singing with her out in front of the school.

She turned her head towards the clock, noticing that the bell was due to ring in thirty seconds. There was only one empty seat left, right next to her. Everyone else noticed this as well, and some big blond boy in the back started a countdown.

"15...14...13..." Tempe felt bad for the poor kid who had the misfortune to be late on the first day of school. Seriously, who actually did that?

"7...6...5..." It was probably a dumb jock. Great, and he was going to end up sitting next to her.

"3...2..." An instant before the bell rang, Seeley screeched into the classroom, his sneakers making squealing noises against the tile as he abruptly stopped, breathing hard.

Tempe stared. Seeley Booth was a very cute boy, she knew that. But she'd forgotten that his eyes were so brown, his smile so crooked, his hair so... She turned away, toward the front of the class.

Booth smiled apologetically at the science teacher, silently wanting to scream at Jeff Davis for laughing at him, his head tipped back, his blond hair hanging down away from his head. Booth settled for flicking him in the forehead as he walked by. Noticing the only seat left was next to the girl from outside, he thanked the circumstances that had left him running from his locker, not sure which hallway to take.

As Booth sat next to her, Tempe took notes on what the teacher was saying. They were the only first period science class, so they would spend almost every class in the lab. He would now assign lab partners, and this person would be your lab partner all semester.

"Now, let's see...Lucas Avery and Brianna Barber." A gasp of disgust came from a short blond girl in the back as a small boy with glasses smiled at her. Tempe grimaced. That poor kid – having to endure her snottiness every day for a whole semester. She looked back to the teacher.

"Alright...Seeley Booth and Temperance Brennan."

Tempe looked around the class, looking for another person doing the same. She didn't see anyone, but when she turned her head the other way she encountered a pair of chocolate brown eyes and a crooked smile. Her eyes widened.

Oh, no. Not the football star, you've got to be joking. Seeley Booth was smiling at her, assuring her that she had actually heard what she thought she had.

Tempe turned back to the teacher, one word continuously running through her mind.

_Why?

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_Okay, so what'd you guys think? This is the longest chapter to date, so... :]


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